YAOUNDE (CAMEROON), Feb 6: Cameroon produced an epic fightback from 3-0 down to draw level at 3-3 before winning the third-place match against Burkina Faso 5-3 in a penalty shootout at the African Cup of Nations on Saturday.
It won’t erase the host team’s disappointment at missing out on the final but it meant Cameroon ended its tournament with a win.
That outcome seemed far-fetched when Burkina Faso went 3-0 up in the 49th minute with a header by Djibril Ouattara.
Tournament leading scorer Vincent Aboubakar came on as a second-half substitute to turn things around for Cameroon.
Stéphane Bahoken pulled the first goal back for Cameroon and Aboubakar scored in the 85th and 87th minutes, helped by two errors by Burkina Faso goalkeeper Farid Ouédraogo, to send the game to penalties.
Blati Touré had the only miss in the shootout, when Cameroon goalkeeper André Onana saved down low with his left hand to make up for his blunder and own-goal in normal time.
Touré’s miss allowed Ambroise Oyongo to step up and win the shootout for Cameroon and at least soften the pain of losing in a shootout to Egypt in the semifinals, when three of Cameroon’s first four penalty-takers missed.
Burkina Faso led from the 24th minute of an action-packed game through Steeve Yago, who arrived at the back post to meet a deep cross.
Onana’s bad error just before halftime gifted Burkina Faso its second goal when a cross went beat the keeper and bounced into the net.
Burkina Faso then made it 3-0 through Ouattara, who was left unmarked to cushion a header past Onana.
Bahoken started the comeback in the 71st.
Aboubakar gave Cameroon real hope when he headed in from a corner with five minutes of normal time to go. Ouédraogo had just made two good saves but undid that work by rushing off his line for the corner and getting stranded, leaving an empty net for Aboubakar.
Ouédraogo ventured out again two minutes later to collect a long ball and collided in the air with a defender, dropping the ball at Aboubakar’s feet and allowing the Cameroon captain to score.
Ouédraogo went off injured leaving Aboubacar Sawadogo, Burkina Faso’s third-choice keeper, to face the shootout.
He could do little to stop the momentum, which was all with Cameroon. (AP)
